This invention generally relates to a door lock. More particularly, the present invention pertains to a vehicle door lock apparatus.
A known vehicle door lock apparatus is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2516432 published on Jul. 24, 1996. The disclosed vehicle door lock apparatus is formed with a first body accommodating a latch mechanism which includes a latch for opening and closing the vehicle door through engagement with a striker provided at the vehicle-body side and a pawl for restricting rotation of the latch through engagement of the pawl with the latch. The vehicle door lock apparatus is also formed with a second body accommodating an operation mechanism which activates the pawl. The first body is integrated with the second body so as to be integrally assembled to the door.
In the vehicle door lock apparatus disclosed in the publication mentioned above, the first body and the second body are configured to be integrated by a connecting member (e.g., a screw or a pin fixed by riveting). This construction thus requires additional parts as well as assembly work and time, thus leading to increased cost.
A need thus exists for a vehicle door lock apparatus that can be manufactured less expensively than other known door lock apparatus such as described above.
A need also exists for a vehicle door lock apparatus in which the first and second bodies are integrated in a way that does not require the same number of components as other known apparatus and does not require the same degree of assembly work as other known apparatus.
According to an aspect of the present invention, a vehicle door lock apparatus includes a first body having a body and a base plate, a latch mechanism accommodated between the body and the base plate, with the latch mechanism including a latch adapted to engage a striker on the vehicle and a pawl for restricting rotation of the latch through engagement of the pawl with the latch, a second body having a housing main body and a cover connected to the housing main body, and an operation mechanism accommodated between the housing main body and the cover to activate the pawl. A guide projection is provided at one of the first body and the second body, and a guide groove is provided at the other one of the first body and the second body, with the guide projection engaging the guide groove so that the first and second bodies are integrated with one another. A stopper is also provided between the first body and the second body for preventing separation of the first and the second bodies.
According to another aspect of the invention, a vehicle door lock apparatus includes a first body accommodating a latch mechanism which includes a latch for effecting opening and closing of a vehicle door through engagement with a striker provided at a vehicle-body side and a pawl for restricting rotation of the latch through engagement of the pawl with the latch, and a second body accommodating an operation mechanism which activates the pawl. The first body is integrated with the second body for being integrally assembled to the vehicle door. A guide projection is formed at one of the first body and the second body, and a guide groove is formed at the other one of the first body and the second body, with the guide groove being engaged with the guide projection. A stopper is provided between the first body and the second body for preventing separation of the integrated first and the second bodies by the engagement between the guide projection and the guide groove.
As compared to a door lock apparatus employing a connecting member to integrate the first body and the second body, the number of components used in the door lock apparatus of the present invention is reduced and the assembly of the apparatus is made easier. Thus, the cost associated with manufacturing the door lock apparatus can be reduced.